


Of Blondes and Bluffing Attorneys

by BitterQueenBean



Category: Legally Blonde - All Media Types, 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Gen, Gyakuten Saiban 3 | Trials and Tribulations Spoilers, Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney Spoilers, Legally Blonde Musical based, M/M, Pre-Gyakuten Saiban 1 | Ace Attorney
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29180091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BitterQueenBean/pseuds/BitterQueenBean
Summary: The first time Elle Woods encounters Phoenix Wright, it’s in Lecture Hall Three of Ivy University.It would be difficult not to notice him, Elle supposes. With his spiked hair, pink-knitted sweater, and earnest eyes, he stands out amongst all the other Pre-Law students attending her lecture. So when the young man seeks her out while the rest of his classmates file out into the hall, Elle can’t help but feel compelled to listen.Also known as snapshots of random moments of Elle's and Phoenix's friendship.
Relationships: Elle Woods & Phoenix Wright, Emmett Forrest/Elle Woods, Mitsurugi Reiji | Miles Edgeworth/Naruhodou Ryuuichi | Phoenix Wright
Comments: 25
Kudos: 101





	Of Blondes and Bluffing Attorneys

**Author's Note:**

> Self-Care is writing an entire crossover for a niche friendship instead of doing any of your schoolwork. Blame my current hyper fixation on both the musical and ace attorney games. But just look me and the eyes and try to tell me Elle and Phoenix wouldn't become friends!
> 
> Huge thanks to oragamidragon who the beta for this trainwreck of fic! I really owe you one! With that out of the way, hope you enjoy!

The first time Elle encounters Phoenix Wright, it’s in Lecture Hall Three of Ivy University.

It would be difficult  _ not  _ to notice him, Elle supposes. With his spiked hair, pink-knitted sweater, and earnest eyes, he stands out amongst all the other Pre-Law students attending her lecture. His flamboyant way of dressing stands out amongst the sea of sensible tans and greys. The sight makes Elle feel nostalgic for Harvard, recalling how in the first few months, it felt like she was the only one who embraced color amongst her classmates.

So when the young man seeks her out while the rest of his classmates file out into the hall, Elle can’t help but feel compelled to listen.

“Mrs. Woods?” he tentatively begins, watching as she wraps up a conversation with a group of girls who had elected to stay behind after the lecture ended to ask some questions. His shoulders relax, though, when Elle flashes him a kind smile, beckoning him closer. 

“Hi! How can I help you Mr…?” she trails off, looking at him expectantly.

“Wright! Phoenix Wright.” 

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wright,” Elle grins, shaking his hand. “How can I help you today?”

Elle watches as the spiky-haired man straightens up, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck. He looks a bit sheepish as he began to ramble.

“I’ll try not to take up too much of your time. I can’t stay too long anyway. I’m supposed to meet up with my girlfriend, Dollie, for lunch,” Phoenix fiddles with the pendant of his necklace as he speaks, running it back-and-forth along the chain. “I just wanted your personal opinion since, well, you are a  _ professional _ .”

Elle couldn’t help but puff up her chest in pride at the compliment. She knew she was hot shit but it still felt nice to hear someone else say it. 

“I’m all ears, Mr. Wright,” she reassures.

“I was wondering… do you think I’ll face any major difficulties in law school if my pre-law degree is… untraditional?” His brows furrow together, clearly deep in thought. “My academic advisor, they’ve been recommending I switch to a more  _ traditional  _ degree. They say it would make the transition easier.”

Elle blinks in surprise, momentarily caught off guard. His words felt familiar...

_ “Harvard Law School?!” _

_ “I have a 4.0 average.” _

_ “Yeah, in Fashion Merchandising. What makes you think you can do this?” _

Elle swallows, her throat suddenly feeling strangely dry. She regards Phoenix carefully, trying to think of how she should reply. She wasn’t the type to offer friendly empty words. While it would be so easy to simply reassure him there would be no problem, a part of her felt like she owed Phoenix her honest opinion.

“I can’t guarantee you won’t face any difficulties if you decide to stick with your original degree. There is a reason why Political Science and Criminal Justice are popular pre-law degrees. They offer you a background you can apply to your field. But nonetheless, you shouldn’t change it just because you’re being pressured to follow a more traditional path. If you’re passionate about what you’re studying and carry that same passion over when you get into law school, you’ll find a way to pull through,” A nostalgic smile graces Elle’s lips as she thought back to all-nighters and late-night study sessions with Emmet and Paulette.

“Besides-” Elle tacks on after a moment of thought, “-an untraditional interest can prove to be unexpectedly useful in court.”

Phoenix went quiet for a moment, clearly considering the blonde’s words until finally, he cast her a bright smile. “Thank you, I’ll definitely take your words to heart.”

“ _ Feenie _ !! Are you coming?”

Elle and Phoenix jerk in surprise, the moment interrupted as a red-haired woman with delicate features fidgets impatiently at the doorway. Phoenix visibly brightens at the sight of the girl, his cheeks adopting a rosy flush. 

“Be right there, Dollie!” He calls out before turning his attention back to Elle. “Sorry for keeping you! Thank you, for your advice.”

“No problem,” Elle waves him off, signaling for him to join his girlfriend. “I’m looking forward to seeing you in court one day, Mr. Wright.”

With one last wave, Phoenix left the hall, leaving Elle to think about Harvard, young love, and skeptical academic advisors.

* * *

Just as Elle had hoped, she ends up meeting Wright again a few years later at the LA courthouse. 

It’s a bright and sunny day when Elle breezes through the courthouse doors, case files in hand as she makes her way down to Courtroom Four. She had arrived early for today’s trial, hoping for a chance to discuss a few things with her defendant before everything went underway. The blonde was confident in her client’s innocence. After all, while Neilline Coffin could be considered a bit morbid with her interest in macabre, there was a genuine earnest air when she talked about her late mother’s death. Elle was sure she was being framed, but she had a few things she needed to check to confirm her suspicion. 

Lost in thought, Elle stops short when she catches sight of her reflection in a mirror decorating the court hall. Examining her reflection, Elle fix’s her hair and smoothes down her pink pantsuit. One had to take care of their appearance if they wanted to be taken seriously.

“Mrs. Woods?” 

Whirling around, Elle blinks in surprise as she meets eyes with a familiar figure exiting Courtroom Three. 

“Mr. Wright! How are you? What brings you down to the court today?” She greets with delight, taking in his appearance. His hair was still styled into those memorable sets of spikes, but it appears as though he abandoned his pink sweater, Elle notes with a frown, in exchange for a white dress shirt and a light blue knitted vest tucked into some dress pants.

“I’m good! I’m a co-counsel for the Chief’s- er, my boss- trial today. The judge just announced a recess,” Phoenix answers, tucking his hands behind his back. “You may have heard of her. Her name’s Mia Fey.”

“Mia Fey, Fey, Fey…” Elle taps her chin, trying to place why that name sounded familiar, before suddenly straightening up with a squeal. “Oh! I know her! She was the defense for that trial a while back. I can’t remember its name but it’s on the tip of my tongue. Hawthorne vs… no, no, that was the name of the killer.”

Lost in her own head, Elle almost misses the way Phoenix suddenly stiffens at the mention of Hawthorne. The blonde frowns in confusion. However, before she could even ask him why she catches sight of the time. 

“Oh no! My trial is gonna start soon and I haven’t even gotten a chance to talk to Ms. Coffin!” 

Straightening herself out, Elle shuffles through her case files before sounding out a triumphant “aha!”. With a flourish, she presents a confused Phoenix her business card.

“I’d love a chance to catch up with you. I wanna hear how you started working for Miss Fey. Give me a call sometime!” 

Phoenix accepts the older women’s business card, running his fingers along the text. Was it him or was the card… scented? He didn’t get the chance to ask though, Elle already scurrying through the courtroom door. 

“Phoenix?” 

Mia had poked her head out into the hallway, looking for her co-counsel. 

“Recess is gonna end soon, are you gonna come back in?”

“Coming, Chief!” Phoenix replies, tucking the business card into his back pocket. He made a mental note to call Elle after the trial ends.

* * *

Phoenix ends up inviting her out for coffee a week after the State vs. Coffin trial. Elle had triumphed in the end, successfully proving Neilline was innocent for her mother’s murder. The true culprit turned out to be Neilline's stepfather, who had killed his wife upon discovering she was planning to file for a divorce. It was a tragic affair but Elle was thankful that, at the very least, Neilline got to walk out a free woman. Hopefully, this coffee meetup can act as a stress relief after the week she’s had. 

The bells on top of the coffee shop door chime softly as Elle enters the shop, instantly catching sight of Phoenix sitting at a table toward the back of the shop. Now, Elle has to give credit where credit was due- Phoenix certainly knew how to pick a hairstyle that helped him stand out in a crowd.

Not wanting to keep the younger man waiting, Elle quickly gets in line and orders the sugariest drink the shop has available before making her way over to the table. 

“Mrs. Woods-“ Phoenix began only for Elle to cut him off with a wave of her hand. 

“Oh, there’s no need for that,” Elle insists, shedding her jacket and draping it across the back of her chair. “Feel free to call me Elle.”

“Are you sure?” asked Phoenix.

“Yes, I don’t mind at all. I mean I was the one who insisted we meet up. Is it alright if I call you Phoenix, Mr. Wright?” 

“Uh, sure. Go ahead,” Phoenix shrugs, looking as if he had been taken off guard. Elle doesn’t pay him any mind though, settling into her seat. 

After they exchange pleasantries it doesn’t take long for Phoenix to relax, questioning Elle over her recent trial and discussing the events of the trial he co-counseled for. Phoenix was clearly a bright young man, Elle observes, taking in the way he seemed to glow as he describes his mentor’s latest triumph and how he seems to know the right kind of questions to ask her about her own cases. 

He was a bit unpolished, of course, but nonetheless, he has the potential to become a great lawyer someday. 

“So how did you end up becoming Ms. Fey’s protege?” Elle questions as she takes a sip of her drink. Phoenix momentarily tenses up, grip tightening on his coffee mug before he forces himself to relax. 

“It’s kind of a long story,” He awkwardly chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. 

(There was a scar on his lips, Elle observes. She was pretty sure that wasn’t there when they first met.)

“I’ve got time.”

Phoenix hesitates, biting into his bottom lip as he considers what to say. 

“A few years ago, I got accused of killing my girlfriend’s ex,” Phoenix begins after a moment of silence, catching Elle off guard. That certainly wasn’t a confession she thought she’d hear today. 

“Mia was my defense attorney, although I certainly didn’t make things easy for her. I was so terrified I would get pinned for his murder that I ended up lying on the stand. Mia managed to get the truth out of me in the end, though. She’s brilliant. She knows how to rip through my testimony and find the truth. Although in this case, the truth wasn’t pretty…”

Phoenix trails off, a deep frown working its way onto his face. Elle doesn’t press him, though, allowing the man a chance to gather his thoughts.

“Turns out the real killer was my girlfriend, Dahlia. She had tried to pin the crime on me but Mia refused to let her get away. You should’ve seen it when Mia cornered her. It was liked she changed into an entirely different person.”

Elle's eyes widen at Phoenix’s words, unable to hold back the gasp that slips past her lips. 

“Oh my god, Phoenix! That must have been  _ horrible _ ,” Elle feels a righteous wave of rage rise up in her chest, balling her hands into fists. She thinks back to the red-head she saw at the lecture hall all those years ago. “I should've known she was bad news. Never trust a girl who carries an open umbrella inside as a fashion statement! That’s bad luck, you know!”

Phoenix was taken aback by the blonde’s outburst. The blonde was visibly fuming and Phoenix can’t remember the last time anyone besides Mia was so upset on his behalf. It felt… nice.

“I guess you’re right,” Phoenix agrees with a laugh. “I should’ve known. But in the end, things worked themselves out. Mia took me under her wing and I ended up switching my major entirely to focus on law. Sorry about that by the way. I tried following your advice but sticking with art reminded me too much of Dahlia.”

“Oh don’t worry about that, it’s alright,” Elle says with a shake of her head. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”

And she was. Elle had dealt with her own fair share of heartbreak after all. It wasn’t easy getting out of that slump.

“Phoenix, if you don’t mind me asking, why did you go into law in the first place? I would think it’s because of Mia but you were considering it long before she entered the picture.”

“Oh!” Phoenix startles, cheeks going red. “Have you ever heard of Miles Edgeworth by any chance?”

Elle has chosen the wrong time to take a sip of her drink. With a sharp inhale she begins to choke, coughing as she attempts to catch her breath.

_ Miles Edgeworth?  _

It would be impossible to find an attorney who  _ hasn’t _ heard about the prosecutor. Having made his court debut in his twenties, Edgeworth was known for his ruthless and cutthroat methods in the courtroom. 

(Although a part of Elle did have to admit he has an impeccable sense of style.)

Nonetheless, it makes Elle wonder what in the world someone like that has anything to do with someone as sweet as Phoenix. 

“Edgeworth?” the blonde echoes in disbelief, watching with wide eyes as Phoenix grew even more flustered. “What does Edgeworth have to do with why you went into law?”

“Well, you see, we were childhood friends.”

_ Oh my god. _

“When we were kids he wanted to become a defense attorney like his father. But then he moved away and years later I found an article about how he’s become a ‘demon’ prosecutor. But that isn’t the Edgeworth _ I _ know. Something must have happened to him and I’m determined to find out what,” A look of steadfast determination appears on Phoenix's face, his blue eyes shining. “It’s the least I can do for him after what he did for me.”

There was a gleam in his eyes, Elle notes, observing Phoenix over the rim of her cup. 

It was a familiar gleam- one she had seen in her own reflection the first few months she attended Harvard. It was the gleam of a fool in love and Elle could feel a pit of dread settle in her stomach while her heart twists up in sympathy.

A part of herself wants to dissuade Phoenix from chasing after Edgeworth, to tell him to cut his losses while he still has the chance. After all, she doesn’t want him to make the same mistake she did and risk everything just to chase after a man who didn’t even care for him. 

But then again, Elle thinks to herself as she twists her wedding ring around her finger, if it wasn’t for Warner dumping her, she wouldn’t be where she was today. She would’ve never gone to Harvard and discovered her passion for law. She would’ve never gotten the chance to meet amazing people like Paulette and Vivian. And she would’ve missed out on meeting the love of her life. 

It was impossible for Elle to even imagine a future where she didn’t have Emmet. 

So, she bites her tongue. She resists the urge to lecture Phoenix despite her reservations. Besides, there’s a genuine earnestness to his words, a sincerity that hints Phoenix may not even be aware of his own feelings. Instead, she elects to offer Phoenix kind words of encouragement while desperately wishing with all her heart that the younger man somehow manages to go down the path he’s chosen unscathed.

At the very least, Elle muses -sitting back in her chair as Phoenix recounts tales of an old friend’s hijinks- Phoenix has Ms. Fey to guide him.

* * *

Time flies by before Elle knows it, as days turn to weeks, weeks into months, and before she can even blink Phoenix has passed the bar exam and successfully earned his badge. 

Elle is delighted for her friend of course and is beside herself with excitement when Mia Fey herself invites Elle and Emmet out to celebrate Phoenix's first trial. Unfortunately, plans end up falling through when Mia never gets back to any of Elle’s messages. And Elle finds out why when she gets her hands on the morning paper. 

It’s a tragedy, to simply put it. Elle’s heart breaks for Phoenix and Mia’s sister, Maya. She can’t imagine how the young girl is feeling, especially when the blonde finds out the poor girl was accused of killing her own sister. A part of her wants to storm down to the police station to find the cop who made the arrest and give them a piece of her mind. Emmet stops her before she can do anything rash, though, and Elle feels a bit better when she discovers Phoenix has risen to act as Maya’s defense. 

If anyone could bring Mia Fey’s untimely death to justice, it would be her protege. 

Despite Elle wanting to attend the trial to offer Phoenix her support, she finds herself unable to attend the first day with her prior commitments to another client. By the time Elle has proved her defendant's innocence, day two of State vs. Fey is well underway and Elle does her best not to attract any unneeded attention as she joined the gallery to view the trial. 

Her heart leaps to her throat when she discovers the accused is no longer Maya but Phoenix himself. Not to mention, the very reason why Phoenix decided to pursue law is the one prosecuting the case. Elle finds Miles Edgeworth is every bit ruthless as the rumors described. She feels a sense of rage simmer beneath her skin as the trial transpires, growing frustrated with the prosecution, witness, and even the judge. It’s so  _ clear _ the witness is lying between his teeth but Elle felt helpless as she watches her friend get backed into a corner. 

And then, the strangest thing happens. 

Little Maya Fey has suddenly grown… taller, and Phoenix ends up blacking out at the bench. The judge calls for a brief recess but Elle isn’t given the chance to run down and check on Phoenix with Bailiffs blocking the door.

But a miracle must have happened in the courtroom lobby because when Phoenix returns, something has changed. He stands a little taller and his eyes shine even brighter. Before Elle even knows it he’s turned the entire case around and proves Redd White for the murderous fraud he is. It feels like a weight is lifted off Elle’s shoulders when the Judge declares Phoenix innocent and Elle all but shoves her way into the courtroom lobby to meet her friend. 

“PHOENIX!” Elle cries out, interrupting the defense attorney’s conversation with Maya. The dark-haired girl peers over Phoenix’s shoulders, pale skin glowing pink when she catches sight of Elle.

“Nick, who is  _ that _ ?” Maya gapes, looking starstruck. “Is she your girlfriend?”

“What!?!? Maya, NO!  _ She’s married _ .”

“Oh,” If possible, Maya grows even pinker. “Should’ve guessed with someone as pretty as her…”

“ _ Maya, _ ” Phoenix pointedly groans before turning his attention to Elle. “Elle-”

“Phoenix, I’m so glad you’re okay! Emmet and I were worried sick!” Elle frets, twisting her wedding ring around her finger. “I heard about Mia and I wanted to check in on you but then I had a client I had to deal with and by the time I’m free, your head is the one on the chopping block and-”

“Elle, I’m fine-”

“-and I was getting so frustrated and-”

“ _ Elle.” _

“Edgeworth of all people is prosecuting your case. I can’t believe he would do that to you! What do you even see in him, Phoenix!?”

“ELLE!” Phoenix squawks, going red. He looks at Maya from the corner of his eyes, grateful that the young teen appeared to have missed what Elle had even said in favor of  drooling staring at the blonde. He glances around the room, lowering his voice to a whispered hiss. “ _ Not so loud. _ ”

Elle winces apologetically.    
  
“Sorry,” She sighs, “It’s just… I was worried, okay?”

“It’s fine, don’t worry. I’m just grateful things worked out in the end.” Despite his reassuring words, the sentiment doesn’t quite reach his eyes. 

“Well, you know you can always reach out to me and Emmet if you ever need anything,” Elle quietly declares, placing a reassuring hand on Phoenix’s shoulder.

“I know, Elle. Thank you.”

* * *

Following State v. Fey, Elle doesn’t see Phoenix for a while. Besides the occasional text message, the two lawyers get wrapped up in their own lives, busy managing their respective law firms and dealing with their own clients (although it appears Phoenix has a habit of attracting the more unique ones). 

It isn’t until December 29th Elle receives any major updates about Phoenix. And it wasn’t even from the man himself.

“ELLE!” Emmet calls out from the living room while Elle shuffles through the kitchen, rummaging the cabinets for some coffee as she tries to blink the sleep away from her eyes.

“What is it?” Elle shouts back, yawning as she turned the coffee machine on, resting her head on the kitchen cabinet. Maybe if she just closes her eyes she could-

“Your friend Phoenix is on TV!”

Elle’s eyes snap open.

“ _ WHAT _ ?!”

Coffee pot abandoned, Elle rushes to the living room where she finds Emmet watching the tv in a raptured daze. Catching sight of the news caption, Elle can’t help but join him.

_ POLLY WANTS A CRACKER?: PHOENIX WRIGHT MAKES HISTORY PROVING PROSECUTOR MILES EDGEWORTH INNOCENCE BY BEING THE FIRST ATTORNEY TO CROSS-EXAMINE A PARROT. _

Elle can’t help but laugh in disbelief, leaning against Emmet for support as she tries to make sense of what she’s hearing. And here she was thinking she had the wildest court triumph story with her perm-themed victory.

Only Phoenix- Elle thinks to herself as she struggles to catch her breath, biting back a grin- could find a way to top that with something even more ridiculous.

* * *

By some miracle, Elle is able to convince Phoenix to meet up with her for drinks to celebrate his victory. When the attorney arrived at the bar, he seemed exhausted. But that does little to hide the grin on his face or the triumph shining in his eyes. 

Elle gets the entire story of the trial out of him piece by piece as the night goes on, hanging on to his every word as he describes how he insisted on defending Edgeworth despite the prosecutor’s resistance. He has her undivided attention as he recounts how he proved Edgeworth’s innocence, not just for the death of Robert Hammod but for the untimely passing of his father as well. 

Elle silently regrets and takes back some of her less than kind sentiments she had held towards Edgeworth. Perhaps he wasn’t such a butthead after all. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how it felt like to go through what he did at the hands of a monster. At the very least, Elle supposes, that demon von Karma had got what he deserved...

“So I guess you were right,” Elle smiles, nudging Phoenix’s shoulder, almost causing the younger man to spill his beer across his lap. “Your childhood friend was in there all along.”

“Yeah,” Phoenix quietly agrees, eyes shining before he smugly adding a teasing, “told you so.”

The blonde scoffs, reaching to take another sip of her wine.

“Yeah, yeah, you were right,” she concedes with a sly grin. “So when are you gonna ask him out?” 

“ELLE!”

Elle breaks down giggling at the sight of Phoenix’s scandalized expression. “Oh come on! You know you wanna~!”

“Yes, but- I mean, no I don’t! But- well-”

“Relax! Don’t give yourself a heart attack Phoenix. I’m only teasing.” Settling back into her seat, Elle cast her gaze to the ceiling. “But if you want my personal opinion, I don’t think there would be any harm in trying.”

Phoenix goes quiet for a moment, staring down at his beer bottle. A small smile appears on his lips.

“You think so?”

Glancing at Phoenix from the corner of her eyes, Elle thinks about the bright-eyed student who approached her that day in the lecture hall. She thinks about their first coffee trip, the way his face had adopted a look of resolute determination as he talked about the reason he wanted to become an attorney in the first place.

There was no such thing as a perfect happy ending. Elle had learned that when she applied for Harvard, chasing after the dream of becoming the wife of a man who didn’t deserve her. But that didn’t mean happiness was impossible.

And if anyone could gain their picture book ending going by going to law school to pursue their first love, it would be Phoenix.

“Yeah,” Elle replies, a sense of pride welling up her chest for the young man. “I think you do.”

**Author's Note:**

> (And then Miles fake his death lol)
> 
> Jokes aside, I may write another one-shot centered around the events of AA2. We'll see! Either way, thanks for reading!!


End file.
